Review: OSL Lounge at Oslo Gardemoen Airport
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If you're looking for a comfortable and relaxing spot to wait for your flight at Oslo Airport, OSL Lounge is the right place. We visited the lounge before our flight to Helsinki. The lounge offered a variety of amenities to make our travel experience more enjoyable, including comfortable seating and a good selection of food and drinks. In this review, we'll take a closer look at what OSL Lounge offered and help you decide if it's worth a visit during your next trip.
Covered in the Article
Oslo Airport
Oslo Airport, also known as Oslo Gardermoen Airport is the primary international airport serving the city of Oslo, Norway. It is the largest airport in Norway and the second-busiest airport in the Nordic countries.
Oslo Airport is located approximately 35 kilometres northeast of Oslo and is easily accessible by train, bus, taxi, and car. The airport has two runways and one terminal, serving over 30 airlines and handling more than 28 million passengers annually. With several restaurants, cafes, shops, and lounges, Oslo Airport offers a wide range of amenities and services to its passengers. Additionally, the airport is known for its modern and sustainable design, which has earned it several awards and recognitions over the years.
Terminal
Oslo Airport boasts a modern and spacious terminal, divided into two main areas: domestic and international flights. The terminal consists of the main building and a north pier is attached to the central area.
The terminal serves both domestic and international destinations but from different gates. Norway is not a member state of the EU but the country is a member of the Schengen Agreement. Travellers who are flying to/from a Schengen destination do not need to undergo passport control.
The upper floor of Oslo Airport's departure area is home to a vast shopping and dining area where passengers can enjoy a wide range of local and international brands. Also, a few of the airport's lounges are located there.
Walking between international and domestic gates is possible. However, to reach the gates marked with the F letter, you need to clear passport control. Flights to non-Schengen destinations use these gates.
The terminal layout is simple and any gate can be reached fast.
Lounges
Oslo Airport has several lounges available for passengers who wish to relax and unwind before their flight: SAS Domestic Lounge, SAS International Lounge, SAS Gold Lounge and OSL Lounge. The international lounges are located on the upper floor near Gate E2 but the domestic SAS Lounge is on the departure floor.
OSL Lounge
OSL Lounge is an independent lounge serving many airlines. It is maintained by the airport.
Location
OSL Lounge is easy to find after the security check. The lounge is located on the airside in the international area of the airport. Specifically, OSL lounge is above Starbucks Coffee in the international departures area, near Gate E8.
Who Can Visit OSL Lounge?
OSL Lounge is accessible for passengers with premium tickets booked with the following airlines: Air Baltic, Air France, Air Serbia, British Airways, Emirates, Ethiopian Airlines, Finnair, Iberia, Icelandair, KLM, Luxair, Sunclass Airlines, TUIfly Nordic and Qatar Airways. In practice, OSL Lounge servers airlines that do not belong to Star Alliance.
Some premium credit cards have also agreements with OSL Lounge access including travellers holding the following credit cards: Amex Centurion, Platinum and Business, Handelsbanken Business, Sparebank Platinum, Møre Mastercard Plus and Møre Mastercard Ekstra. TAV Passport holders can also visit OSL Lounge. We visited the lounge using an Amex Platinum card.
Lounge memberships are another way to access OSL Lounge. The lounge welcome customers of LoungeKey and travellers with Dragon Pass. Suprisingly, OSL Lounge does not accept Priority Pass. However, one's lounge memberships do not guarantee access but these customers will get in only if there is enough free space. During busy hours, the chances of getting admitted are lower.
If you do not belong to the previous groups and you are travelling in economy class, you can still visit the lounge as OSL Lounge accepts walk-ins based on capacity. You can pay for entry at the front desk starting from NOK 300 per guest. However, it is unsure if there are enough free seats. One of the best ways to secure access also for busy hours is to buy a single entry beforehand from one of our favourite travel service providers, Lounge Pass which sells inexpensive vouchers for this lounge.
Our OSL Lounge Experience
Arrival
We had a scheduled flight from Oslo to Helsinki on Sunday at 2 p.m. We arrived at the lounge at 11 AM at which time the lounge was still half empty and only the main area of the lounge was open. We visited OSL Lounge using the Amex Platinum card. On our arrival, one female staff was stationed at the reception and she handled the formalities quickly and in a friendly manner.
The lounge had two areas: The main area and the premium area in the right wing of the lounge. The premium area is meant for some airlines' customers.
Impression
We found OSL Lounge to offer a little bit of luxury with its stylish and warm atmosphere and a wide selection of refreshing drinks and snacks. We liked the soft lighting and potted foliage of the lounge which all add to the tranquil ambience with many seatings available making this lounge ideal for unwinding pre-flight.
The lounge had a good view of the apron and runway on a sunny day. There were many power outlets available. It was also easy for us to check for our flight info as the lounge has many flight information screens. Food tables were cleared quite fast by their friendly staff.
Customer Service
The staff of the lounge were friendly and accommodating. However, the lounge gets easily understaffed when a huge number of lounge guests arrive during busy hours. We noticed this when there were many international flight departures during a Sunday afternoon on our visit. For example, it got reflected when toilets were needing attention but staff were not able to notice it themselves. The lounge has 3 toilet rooms. One of us badly needed to use the toilet upon arrival and the toilet near the reception was dirty. After reporting to the staff who asked us to use the one at the left wing of the lounge, we also noticed that all the hand soaps in the men's toilet room were all empty.
Foods and Drinks
During our visit the lounge didn't have an extensive food selection. There was a small cold buffet, a salad bar, fresh fruits, and a hot soup including some snacks. Special diets like gluten-free products were available.
Even though there wasn't a full buffet, the range of drinks was pretty good. This included wine and beer taps, fresh juices, and soft drinks and there was also sparkling wine. Also, non-alcoholic beers and wines were available. We didn't notice any strong alcoholic drinks in sight.
Rating
The design of OSL Lounge was stylish and modern. The lounge had plenty of seating available having large and comfortable sofas and armchairs. Being a cosy lounge with lots of sofas - we felt like we were at home during our visit. The lounge offered delicious food options, although the only warm food item available was a white mushroom soup. With better food selection and the addition of a shower facility, we could give an additional one star.
Common Questions
- What lounges are available at Oslo Airport?
- Oslo Airport has several lounges that cater to different types of passengers and their needs. The SAS Lounges are available to passengers travelling with SAS or Star Alliance airlines, while OSL Lounge is available to all passengers.
- What amenities does OSL Lounge offer?
- OSL Lounge offers comfortable seating, complimentary food and drinks, and other useful services. The warm food options may be limited, but there is a wide selection of drinks and snacks available.
- Are the staff friendly and efficient?
- Based on our experience, the staff at Oslo Lounge are friendly and efficient, which adds to the pleasant atmosphere of the lounge.
- Can anyone access OSL Lounge?
- Yes, anyone can pay him/herself into OSL Lounge.
- Does OSL Lounge accept Priority Pass?
- Unfortunately, no.
- Does OSL Lounge accept LoungeKey?
- Yes, it does.
- Are the lounges at Oslo Airport suitable for domestic and international travellers?
- Yes, the lounges at Oslo Airport provide comfortable and stylish spaces for passengers to relax before their flights, whether they are travelling domestically or internationally.
- Where can I buy access to OSL Lounge?
- You can purchase a single visit from Lounge Pass.
- Is OSL Lounge in the Schengen area?
- Yes, it is.
Bottom Line
Our experience at OSL Lounge was a pleasant one. The reception staff was friendly and efficient, and the lounge itself had a warm and stylish atmosphere. The lounge's amenities, such as the flight information screens, magazine selections, Wi-Fi and the wide selection of drinks and snacks, were all satisfactory. However, the lounge's food selection was limited to mostly cold food items, with only soup as the hot option. Despite this, we found the lounge to be a great place to relax before our flight, with plenty of seating options and a tranquil ambience.
We were surprised that Priority Pass members are not welcome to this lounge. Luckily, OSL Lounge has many direct agreements with premium credit cards. For example, we used American Express Platinum to access the lounge. Overall, we would recommend OSL Lounge to anyone looking for a comfortable and stylish airport lounge experience.
Have you visited OSL Lounge? Did you stay in the main area or the premium side of the lounge? Comment below about your experience.
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